Often times when teachers are trained to be educators, the training is focused on how to teach children. Even when teachers were broken up into early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school categories, certified teachers were all trained to teach children. What seems to be left out, is the fact that those children are growing over time into adults and that the way that they learn is slowly changing. Children need direction from their teacher to know what to learn and how to do it. Educators of children design their activities for teaching their curriculum around the fact that they are teaching people without much experience or knowledge and that they simply learn because that is what you do in school. Below, I will explain the idea of andragogy, and how it can be used to help teachers change their methods of teaching when working with adults, or even those students who are in the process of transitioning into adults.
What is Andragogy?:
Andragogy is a term that was first coined by Alexander Knapp, a German educator, in 1833. This term refers to adult learning (with andr replacing the ped in pedagogy) as opposed to the more commonly known pedagogy. While pedagogy is defined as the art and science of teaching, andragogy is specific to adults. The idea behind andragogy is that adults learn differently than children and therefore instruction should be designed differently for adult learners. Alexander Knapp used the term to describe Plato's educational theory. Later, in 1921, Eugen Rosenstock (a German social scientist) recognized that adult education required different teaching ideas than child education. In 1968, Malcolm Knowles used the term in an article and later became known as the principle expert on andragogy. The following paragraphs will explain Knowles' thoughts about andragogy and how it can be used to help in adult education.
Assumptions and Characteristics of Andragogy:
In 1980 Malcolm Knowles made four assumptions about adult learners and then added a fifth one in 1984. These assumptions explained the difference between what was previously true when a learner was a child and what is now true that the learner is an adult. The first assumption was called Self-concept. This idea is that an adult is no longer a dependent personality, but can now direct his or her own learning. Adults are more likely to learn how to do something if they can take ownership of how they are learning. The second assumption, Experience, takes into account everything the adult learner knows and has experienced and that these can be resources for new learning. The third assumption is Readiness to learn. This implies that adults have a need to know something and therefore seek out ways to learn what they do not know. The fourth assumption, Orientation to learning, is the idea that adults need to learn things that they will be putting into practice immediately. This is why hands-on type activities work best with adults rather than taking notes from a lecture. The final assumption is Motivation to learn. This assumption says that adult motivations come more internally than externally. For example, an adult may have a task that they are required to accomplish for his or her job. They are then motivated to learn how to accomplish this task instead of being motivated because his or her boss required them to take a class. After Knowles came up with his assumptions, he developed four characteristics or principles of andragogy that any teachers of adults should follow. First, adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their learning. If adults feel like they are being led instead of involved, they are less likely to learn. Second, an adult’s experience (including mistakes) is essential in his or her learning and should be called upon in order for new learning to occur. Teachers of adults should allow them to shape their learning based on things they already know or have experienced. Next, adult learning should be problem-centered. This means that adult learning should be designed around accomplishing a task that solves a problem rather than on just learning content. Finally, adult learning needs to impact their life immediately and have relevance to their job or personal life. Assignments should be designed so that adults can put them to use.
Table of Assumptions:
Self-Directed Learning:
Knowles describes self-directed learning as “a process in which individuals take the initiative without the help of others in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating goals, identifying human and material resources, and evaluating learning outcomes”. Educators of adults, and even those educating adolescents, need to understand this necessary transition from learning that is completely designed by the teacher, where the student is not involved in the direction and content of the learning, to learning that is designed as a collaboration between teacher and learner. The adult learner must have some type of internal need to fulfill in order to be motivated to learn, and the teacher must work with that adult in designing activities that will help them fulfill that need. For example, I have been teaching geometry for 18 years. A few years ago, I began noticing that it was really hard for me to figure out my students’ individual needs and give them more one-on-one time rather than teaching them as a class. I began researching ways that I could do this and at a conference found out about “Flipped Learning.” I then began reading books about this subject and attending training conferences to help me design my own Flipped Learning for my geometry classes. Because of my need to have a more one-to-one experience with my students, I was able to decide what I wanted to learn, how I wanted to do it, and how I could use my new understanding in my job.
All of this brings us to the question, “How can teachers design activities to inspire self-directed learning?” First, there needs to be a curriculum for a class that an adult is taking, but the way the learner shows how they have learned the curriculum can vary from other adult learners in the class. Teachers should give the opportunity for their students to choose from a variety of problem-solving tasks so they can pick the one that is most useful to them. Activities should be relevant to the reason the adult is taking the class in the first place, and need to result in the learner creating something they can take with them and use outside of the class. Furthermore, if teachers design their classes to involve self-directed learning, adults will be able to use those same skills outside of a classroom to learn things on their own, therefore encouraging life-long learning. Teachers of adults must understand that their class is only a small part of an adults learning in their life and adults need to be able to integrate that class into other aspects of their life. In conclusion, andragogy leads to the need for self-directed learning, which then leads to life-long learning both in and out of a class.
Fidishun, D., Ed.D. (2005). Andragogy and Technology: Integrating Adult Learning Theory As We Teach With Technology [PDF]. Malvern, PA: Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies.
Manning, G. (2007). Self-Directed Learning: A Key Component of Adult Learning Theory [PDF]. Journal of the Washington Institute of China Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2, p104-115.
Andragogy (M. Knowles) [DOCX]. (n.d.). Knowles, M. (1975). Self-Directed Learning. Chicago: Follet.Knowles, M. (1984). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (3rd Ed.). Houston: Gulf Publishing.Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Table of Contents
Introduction:
Often times when teachers are trained to be educators, the training is focused on how to teach children. Even when teachers were broken up into early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school categories, certified teachers were all trained to teach children. What seems to be left out, is the fact that those children are growing over time into adults and that the way that they learn is slowly changing. Children need direction from their teacher to know what to learn and how to do it. Educators of children design their activities for teaching their curriculum around the fact that they are teaching people without much experience or knowledge and that they simply learn because that is what you do in school. Below, I will explain the idea of andragogy, and how it can be used to help teachers change their methods of teaching when working with adults, or even those students who are in the process of transitioning into adults.What is Andragogy?:
Andragogy is a term that was first coined by Alexander Knapp, a German educator, in 1833. This term refers to adult learning (with andr replacing the ped in pedagogy) as opposed to the more commonly known pedagogy. While pedagogy is defined as the art and science of teaching, andragogy is specific to adults. The idea behind andragogy is that adults learn differently than children and therefore instruction should be designed differently for adult learners. Alexander Knapp used the term to describe Plato's educational theory. Later, in 1921, Eugen Rosenstock (a German social scientist) recognized that adult education required different teaching ideas than child education. In 1968, Malcolm Knowles used the term in an article and later became known as the principle expert on andragogy. The following paragraphs will explain Knowles' thoughts about andragogy and how it can be used to help in adult education.Assumptions and Characteristics of Andragogy:
In 1980 Malcolm Knowles made four assumptions about adult learners and then added a fifth one in 1984. These assumptions explained the difference between what was previously true when a learner was a child and what is now true that the learner is an adult. The first assumption was called Self-concept. This idea is that an adult is no longer a dependent personality, but can now direct his or her own learning. Adults are more likely to learn how to do something if they can take ownership of how they are learning. The second assumption, Experience, takes into account everything the adult learner knows and has experienced and that these can be resources for new learning. The third assumption is Readiness to learn. This implies that adults have a need to know something and therefore seek out ways to learn what they do not know. The fourth assumption, Orientation to learning, is the idea that adults need to learn things that they will be putting into practice immediately. This is why hands-on type activities work best with adults rather than taking notes from a lecture. The final assumption is Motivation to learn. This assumption says that adult motivations come more internally than externally. For example, an adult may have a task that they are required to accomplish for his or her job. They are then motivated to learn how to accomplish this task instead of being motivated because his or her boss required them to take a class. After Knowles came up with his assumptions, he developed four characteristics or principles of andragogy that any teachers of adults should follow. First, adults need to be involved in the planning and evaluation of their learning. If adults feel like they are being led instead of involved, they are less likely to learn. Second, an adult’s experience (including mistakes) is essential in his or her learning and should be called upon in order for new learning to occur. Teachers of adults should allow them to shape their learning based on things they already know or have experienced. Next, adult learning should be problem-centered. This means that adult learning should be designed around accomplishing a task that solves a problem rather than on just learning content. Finally, adult learning needs to impact their life immediately and have relevance to their job or personal life. Assignments should be designed so that adults can put them to use.Table of Assumptions:
Self-Directed Learning:
Knowles describes self-directed learning as “a process in which individuals take the initiative without the help of others in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating goals, identifying human and material resources, and evaluating learning outcomes”. Educators of adults, and even those educating adolescents, need to understand this necessary transition from learning that is completely designed by the teacher, where the student is not involved in the direction and content of the learning, to learning that is designed as a collaboration between teacher and learner. The adult learner must have some type of internal need to fulfill in order to be motivated to learn, and the teacher must work with that adult in designing activities that will help them fulfill that need. For example, I have been teaching geometry for 18 years. A few years ago, I began noticing that it was really hard for me to figure out my students’ individual needs and give them more one-on-one time rather than teaching them as a class. I began researching ways that I could do this and at a conference found out about “Flipped Learning.” I then began reading books about this subject and attending training conferences to help me design my own Flipped Learning for my geometry classes. Because of my need to have a more one-to-one experience with my students, I was able to decide what I wanted to learn, how I wanted to do it, and how I could use my new understanding in my job.
All of this brings us to the question, “How can teachers design activities to inspire self-directed learning?” First, there needs to be a curriculum for a class that an adult is taking, but the way the learner shows how they have learned the curriculum can vary from other adult learners in the class. Teachers should give the opportunity for their students to choose from a variety of problem-solving tasks so they can pick the one that is most useful to them. Activities should be relevant to the reason the adult is taking the class in the first place, and need to result in the learner creating something they can take with them and use outside of the class. Furthermore, if teachers design their classes to involve self-directed learning, adults will be able to use those same skills outside of a classroom to learn things on their own, therefore encouraging life-long learning. Teachers of adults must understand that their class is only a small part of an adults learning in their life and adults need to be able to integrate that class into other aspects of their life. In conclusion, andragogy leads to the need for self-directed learning, which then leads to life-long learning both in and out of a class.
Word Cloud:
Video about Andragogy: You Tube Video Link
Resources:
(http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/)Pappas, C. (2016). The Adult Learning Theory - Andragogy - of Malcolm Knowles. Retrieved September 19, 2016, from https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
Andragogy Visually Explained for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2016, from http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2015/03/andragogy-visually-explained-for-teachers.html
Fidishun, D., Ed.D. (2005). Andragogy and Technology: Integrating Adult Learning Theory As We Teach With Technology [PDF]. Malvern, PA: Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies.
Manning, G. (2007). Self-Directed Learning: A Key Component of Adult Learning Theory [PDF]. Journal of the Washington Institute of China Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2, p104-115.
Andragogy (M. Knowles) [DOCX]. (n.d.).
Knowles, M. (1975). Self-Directed Learning. Chicago: Follet.Knowles, M. (1984). The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (3rd Ed.). Houston: Gulf Publishing.Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in Action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.